Delhi Police seized 2,260 kg of banned firecrackers from two vehicles and apprehended four people for allegedly transporting the consignment, officials reported on Thursday. The firecrackers, packed across 87 cartons and boxes, were reportedly procured from Kurali in Punjab and slated for delivery to various recipients throughout Delhi.
Acting on specific intelligence regarding the trafficking of prohibited fireworks ahead of the festive season, law enforcement intercepted a truck and a pickup vehicle in the Alipur area on Tuesday. Firecrackers remain strictly banned within the national capital.
A thorough search of the intercepted automobiles resulted in the recovery of 1,350 kg of firecrackers from the truck and another 910 kg from the pickup van. The four individuals taken into custody were identified as truck driver Lovekush, 24, his helper Vikas, 18, pickup driver Chandan Kumar Bhagat, 35, and his helper Raja Yadav, 19. All suspects are residents of Delhi.
Authorities confiscated both transport vehicles alongside the fireworks and gathered samples for ongoing forensic analysis. A formal case was registered under relevant legal provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Explosives Act.
During initial interrogations, the suspects revealed that the shipments originated from Rakesh Sood and Sons in Kurali. The truck driver and his helper stated that an individual named Sandeep Bansal loaded 48 cartons onto their vehicle for delivery near Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, prompting police to verify Bansal's identity and involvement.
Meanwhile, the pickup driver told investigators that a man named Rahul loaded 39 cartons onto his vehicle in Kurali to be delivered to Rahul and other contacts in the same transport hub. Police have seized the entire 2,260-kg consignment, placed the four suspects under arrest, and widened their probe to track down all individuals linked to the procurement and distribution network.